Pacific Classic Day/ NJ Festival Day
It's one of the things I MOST enjoy about the handicapping/racing game....never the same, always very enjoyable on some if not all levels. While most horse players focus on the bottom line, profit vs. loss and that makes some players handicap races looking for the "value play" rather than the likely winner. I am all about the mental challenge and being right. And along the way I develop attachments to certain horses. So it's not uncommon for a day, and Saturday was one, where I'm more than content - in fact down right delighted - with the day despite NOT having my typical 35-40% win average or a winning/profitable day. That's because two horses in particular were big winners. First, my own 2yo colt Conviction won his debut at Gulfstream. From the very beginning when I first invested in the colt the praise and anticipation had been over the top higher than most horses offered by MyRacehorse. And prior to his debut on Saturday they even published, '....frankly we'd be surprised if he doesn't win...." OH! He broke a bit slowly but overhauled his main challenger on the turn and ran away like something REALLY special. Afterwards our trainer, Safffie Joseph remarked that he wasn't even 100% fit and ready.....OH-squared :) Then the highlight on the national calendar was the Grade 1 $1 Million Pacific Classic. Knightsbridge has been one of my favorite runners for a couple of years, but he'd always seemed to be largely a one-turn runner and a mile seemed to be his sweet spot. A month ago trainer Bill Mott tried him at 9f in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup and he earned an out-of-the-world 122 Beyer figure for his runaway effort. So they sent him to the Pacific Classic to try the mile and a quarter classic distance. I shook my head knowing I was doomed when he dueled through sprint like fractions to the far turn. Then he opened up and ran off by more than half a dozen lengths in a sparkling performance. OH MY. I was delighted with the weekend before Sunday even arrived. Then on Sunday it was New Jersey Bred Festival Day at Monmouth with three stakes races and I swept them all, including the BET of the Day with Cairo Surprise. Just a really good weekend of racing :)
Several years ago Kim and I considered buying a second place in Orlando and our realtors were a couple, Chris and Kati. We opted at the time not to follow through, but since then I've kept in contact with Kati. Discovered she lives close to our new Orlando stay-cation condo so we arranged to meet. She came over for drinks and to catch up and then we went to dinner together. Enjoyed seeing her and we promised to get together again. She also was very hopeful that she could talk us, or me into joining her 2028 Alaska cruise with Holland America.
I also interacted with my four favorite online gal-pals this week. Especially touched by the message I received back from former CBS Weekend Morning Anchor Teri.
